The Covington County Child Advocacy Center was one of five non-profit organizations to receive funding from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Monday.

CAC director Kaci Perry said the $76,000 grant is one of the center’s main sources of funding. It will help provide the resources and tools necessary for the center to continue to conduct forensic interviews and provide therapy for child victims of abuse.

CAC also receives a joint grant with the Department of Human Resources that helps provide training for the center’s multidisciplinary team, she said. The group also hosts two major fundraisers each year, and receives a number of corporate and individual sponsors.

The Child Advocacy Center was designed as a comfortable place for child victims to tell their stories, and to heal, saving trips to unfamiliar, out-of-town clinics.

“We do about 100 forensic interviews a year,” Perry said. “And that’s just a drop in the bucket for what’s out there.”

The Center also provides victims’ advocate services that helps families through the whole process, and provides therapy. Both trauma focus and play therapy are offered, Perry said.

ADECA is administering the grants from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Justice Department. ADECA administers an array of programs in law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, workforce development, water resources and recreation development.

“Those who have unfortunately become victims of abuse deserve to have professional assistance and a full range of services to help them begin recovery,” Ivey said. “I commend the staffs and volunteers of these organizations for giving victims the compassionate care at a time they need it the most.”

Also receiving portions of the more than $600,000 awarded this week were:

• 33rd Judicial Circuit District Attorney Office – $120,513 to assist domestic violence victims in Dale and Geneva counties.
• Exchange Center for Child Abuse Prevention – $100,000 to help child abuse victims in Barbour, Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties.
• Pike Regional Child Advocacy Center – $112,000 to assist victims of child sexual and physical abuse in Barbour, Bullock, Coffee and Pike counties.
• Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center, Inc. – $238,000 to help child abuse victims in Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties.